The Wizard of Black
by xRJLupinx
Summary: A Marauder Era version of 'The Wizard of Oz', in which Lily Evans finds herself in the Land of Black. Upon meeting three friends, they travel to the Ebony City to get their deepest desire from the Wizard of Black.
1. Dreaming of an Escape

In a small town near London lived the Evans family. They were pretty much a normal family. A mother, a father, and two children- Lily and Petunia.

Lily Evans was a witch. She had not known it yet, but on the way to her was a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But, since she did not know, there was nothing to occupy her mind to ignore Petunia teasing her for no good reason.

Lily had always been the good one, the creative one, the pretty one, the nice one, the one who was so perfect and always did so well at school. Petunia, on the other had, was always the one who was kind of ignored by their parents. Lily really didn't mean for this to happen, and she just wanted to be all right with her sister. Yet Petunia would not listen to a thing Lily said, and would just insult her.

Having to put up with this for about ten years was just two much for the two, and a very tired Lily stormed to her room one day, giving up on making any attempt to communicate nicely with Petunia. Lily slumped over on her bed, which caused her red hair to flop over her head. She pushed it back behind her ears, and then peered out the window with her green eyes. She just wanted a better life. Something new. Something different. Somewhere where she belonged. Somewhere where things would be better.

As she stared out dreamily, Lily began singing to herself.

_"When all the world is a hopeless jumble  
__And the raindrops tumble all around  
__Heaven opens a magic lane  
__  
__When all the clouds darken up the skyway  
__There's a rainbow highway to be found  
__Leading from your window pane  
__To a place behind the sun  
__Just a step beyond the rain_

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
__Way up high  
There's a land that I've heard of  
__Once in a lullaby_

Somewhere over the rainbow  
_Skies are blue  
And the dreams that you dare to dream  
Really do come true _

Some day I'll wish upon a star  
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me  
Where troubles melt like lemon drops  
Away above the chimney tops  
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow  
_Blue birds fly  
Birds fly over the rainbow  
Why then, oh why can't I? _

_If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow  
Why oh why can't I?"_

Lily sighed. Staying trapped in the room was killing her. Not to mention, she could hear Petunia in the room next store muttering to herself. Deciding to take a walk, Lily slipped on some shoes and exited the house. Normally, she would have told her parents she was going out, but her mind was so full of thought that she simply forgot to.

The wind was blowing rather hard, but she didn't care. It felt so wonderful to wander aimlessly down the sidewalk without having to worry. She didn't have to put up with anything, and could simply walk and dream of another place.

A sudden burst of wind slapped Lily out of her thoughts, and opened her ears to the noise of a storm. For some odd reason, there was a cyclone, and Lily knew that she would be crushed by it. She had wandered out awfully far. So Lily quickly began to run home to be safe.

Back at the Evan's House, Lily's mother and father were searching all over for her.

"Dear, I can't find her!" Lily's mother said to her father.

"Oh, who cares…" Petunia mumbled.

"She must be around somewhere!" her father said. "Lily!" he called.

"Lily! Oh Lily, baby, please come! Where are you? Lily!" her mother called.

"Oh Mother, don't panic," Petunia said in a falsely sweet voice. "I'm sure that Lily will turn up soon. Let's all go into the neighbor's storm shed so we are not killed."

"She's right, dear," her father said. "Lily's an intelligent girl. She'll know that we're in the neighbor's storm shed, so she'll come as quickly as she can. Let's go."

"Oh…alright," her mother said. The three exited and hurried over to the neighbor's house for a protective shelter.

Lily had now arrived home and entered the house. But she couldn't hear anything. Just the howling of the wind. Where was everybody? "Mum! Dad!" she called out. "Are you here? Where are you? Mum! Dad!"

She looked all around the house, but found no one. She walked back into her room and closed the door. This was going to be awful. Was it possible that her mother and father were hurt? Where were they?

Lily glimpsed out the window at the cyclone. It was huge and coming closer. But in the distance, she thought she saw a witch on a broomstick. But witches weren't real, were they? She leaned over for a closer look.

At that moment, and gust of wind blew violently, and the window broke and fell into Lily's face, causing her to pass out onto the bed.

A while later, Lily woke up again, but could hear the wind howling still. She looked out the window and discovered that her house was flying in the air! She was quite terrified, and backed up away from the window some more. But she could still see people in the air…why, it was her mother! And her father too! They waved to her happily, and she waved back, before they were gone again. She must have just been dreaming. Lily looked out the window warily a little more, and then suddenly the house abruptly stopped spinning.


	2. Arriving in HouseElf Land

**A/N:** Before I forget, I will say this. I do not own 'The Wizard of Oz', which this is a parody of! This was a book written by L. Frank Baum. Also, I do not own the songs! They are from the movie and musical, and have only been filked a little to fit in with the story. I also, sadly, do not own these characters. With that being said and done, enjoy The Wizard of Black!

* * *

Lily didn't move for a few seconds. First the house had been spinning, and then it stopped…she was very confused.

However, Lily was equally frightened as she was confused, and wondered where her parents were. She even worried about where Petunia was. She realized that they must have been next store, so she opened up the door to go there. But as she exited, she saw something else.

"Oh my…I have a feeling I'm not in London anymore," Lily gasped.

What Lily saw wasn't her home back in London. It was a beautiful land…with sparkling water, and enormous flowers…it was the most adorable thing she could ever imagine.

She walked farther on, and heard voices giggling. Lily turned around, but couldn't see anyone. She turned back around and walked. And then all of the sudden, with a sound like a whip cracking, a person appeared right in front of her.

The new person was a very beautiful lady, her hair was dark, and she wore pink robes and a silver crown. There was something about her that made Lily feel protected.

The beautiful lady walked over to Lily. "Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Lily said. What was this lady talking about?

"I asked if you are a good witch, or a bad witch?" the lady repeated.

"I- I'm not a witch at all!" Lily stammered. The lady must have been crazy. There were no such things as witches.

"I don't understand why you're asking me this," said Lily. "Witches aren't real. They only exist in fairy tales, and in those fairy tales witches are ugly and evil."

The little voices Lily had heard before began giggling.

"Wha…who is that, and why do they keep laughing?" Lily asked.

The lady laughed as well. "They laugh because I am a witch."

Lily gasped again. "I…I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you! But how could you be a witch? You're so beautiful!"

"It's only the bad witches that are ugly…unless, of course, they try and alter their appearance with magic. Which, I won't deny, they've done before." The lady laughed to herself and then said to Lily, "I am Andromeda, the Witch of the North."

"It's very nice to meet you," said Lily. Feeling that it might be appropriate in this country, whatever it was, she curtsied to Andromeda. "My name is Lily Evans. But I still don't understand. What am I doing here? How did I get here?"

Andromeda did not properly answer Lily, but gave an answer of, "You have killed the Wicked Witch of the East, Narcissa. The house-elves are free at last!"

"House-elves?" Lily said, her brow furrowing. "What are house-elves?"

"The little people that live in this land," Andromeda replied. "Where do you come from?"

"London," Lily said.

"I have never heard of London…"Andromeda said. She then began to sing quite sweetly.

_"Come out, come out wherever you are  
And meet the young lady who fell from a star  
She fell from the sky, she fell very far  
And London she says is the name of the star."_

What Lily figured must have been the house elves came out from little cottages and bushes to walk over to Lily and Andromeda. They were all dressed in dreary pillowcases, but they looked cheerful all the same.

_"London she says is the name of the star!"_ they sang.

Andromeda sang again.

"_She brings you good news  
__Or haven't you heard?  
When she fell out of London  
__A miracle occurred"_

Lily quickly shook her head at Andromeda and the house-elves. Unexplainable things were happening much too fast.

_"It really was no miracle  
What happened was just this:  
The wind began to switch  
__The house to pitch  
And suddenly the hinges started to unhitch  
Just then a witch  
__To satisfy an itch  
Went flying on her broomstick thumbing for a hitch"_

_"And oh, what happened then was rich!" _exclaimed a house-elf.

To Lily's surprise, all of the House Elves began grabbing each other and telling each other the news quickly.

_"The house began to pitch  
__The kitchen took a slitch  
It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch  
Which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch! _

The house began to pitch!  
_The kitchen took a slitch!  
It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch  
Which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch  
Who began to twitch  
__And was reduced to just a stitch  
Of what was once the Wicked Witch!"_

A house-elf came up to Lily and smiled at her.

_"We thank you very sweetly for doing it so neatly."_

Another house-elf came up to Lily.

_"You've killed her so completely_

_That we thank you very sweetly."_

"Let the joyous news be spread: the Wicked old Witch as last is dead!" Andromeda declared.

Surprising Lily again, the house-elves began to sing joyously and skip about, singing,

_"Ding-dong the witch is dead!  
Which old witch?  
__The Wicked Witch  
Ding-dong the Wicked Witch is dead!  
Wake up, you sleepyhead  
Rub your eyes, get out of bed!  
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead!  
__  
She's gone where the goblins go  
Below - below - below  
Yo-ho, let's open up and sing  
A__nd ring the bells out!_

Ding Dong, the merry-oh  
_Sing it high  
__Sing it low  
Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead!"_

A house-elf with big green eyes like tennis balls and a long nose stepped forward and introduced himself to Lily.

_"As Dobby of the House-Elf City  
In the county of the land of Black  
I welcome you most regally"_

Another house-elf with a nose like a tomato and a high squeaky voice said,

_"But we've got to verify it legally!  
__To see…"_

Dobby nodded. _"To see…"_

"If she…" continued the second elf. 

_"If she…"_

_"Is morally ethically-"_

_"Spiritually, physically-"_

"_Positively, absolutely-"_

_"Undeniably and reliably dead."_

Coming forth from the house that had landed on the witch was an aged looking house-elf. He sobbed a little into his pillow case, blew his nose, and then told the crowd:

"_As old Kreacher, an old creature  
__I thoroughly examined her  
And she's not only merely dead  
She's really most sincerely dead."_

Dobby jumped up and down as Kreacher blew his nose again. In his funny little voice, Dobby again announced to the crowd:

"_Then this is a day of independence for all the house-elves  
And their descendants!  
Yes, let the joyous news be spread  
The Wicked old Witch at last is dead!"_

The house-elves cheered, and then began to sing and dance once more.

"_Ding-dong, the witch is dead!  
__Which old witch?  
__The Wicked Witch!  
Ding-dong, the Wicked Witch is dead!  
Wake up, you sleepyhead  
Rub your eyes, get out of bed  
Wake up, the wicked witch is dead_

_  
She's gone where the goblins go  
Below - below - below  
Yo-ho, let's open up and sing  
__And ring the bells out  
Ding Dong' the merry-oh  
__Sing it high!  
__Sing it low!  
Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead!"_

Three house-elves with drawings of shoes on their pillowcases stepped forward to Lily and attempted to do a little dance for her as they sang.

_"We represent the Shiny Shoe Club  
The Shiny Shoe Club, the Shiny Shoe Club  
And in the name of the Shiny Shoe Club  
We wish to welcome you to House-Elf Land!"_

The Shiny Shoe Club stepped back into the crowd of house-elves. Three more house-elves stepped up. On their pillowcases were designs of different foods.

_"We represent the Yummy Food Group  
The Yummy Food Group, the Yummy Food Group  
And in the name of the Yummy Food Group  
We wish to welcome you to House-Elf Land!"_

The Yummy Food Group gave Lily a cookie, and then all the house-elves began to skip again.

"_We welcome you to House-Elf Land!  
Tra la la la la la la la la la la  
__Tra la la la la la la!"_

Dobby excitedly spoke again to Lily.

_"From now on you'll be history!  
You'll be his...  
You'll be his...  
You'll be history!"_

_"And we will glorify your name!"_ added the rest of the house-elves.  
_"You will be a bust...  
Be a bust...  
Be a bust...  
In the hall of fame!  
_  
_Tra la la la la la la la la la la  
Tra la la la la la la!  
Tra la la la la la la la la la la  
Tra la la la la- _

AAAAAAHHHHH!"

A huge puff on red smoke emerged along with another whip crack noise that sounded like a pack of elephants. A dark haired witch with deep-set eyes had appeared, and she scanned around the area, looking quick evil. In her hand she carried her broomstick that she thrashed it at them and shouted, "Who killed my sister!"

The house-elves screamed and some ran away to hide behind bushes. A few even ran back to their homes. The witch went up to the house-elf named Kreacher who had examined to see if the Wicked Witch of the East, Narcissa, was really dead.

"Did you kill her!" demanded the witch.

"Oh, of course Kreacher didn't," answered the elf. "Kreacher would never harm the Great Witch of the East."

The house-elf nearest Kreacher punched him as the new witch turned her back. She marched up to Andromeda and screamed, "Did you kill my sister!"

"As much as I am happy to let you take ownership, Bellatrix, she is my sister too and you should know I would never do such a thing!" said Andromeda, who didn't seem to be frightened at all.

"So you didn't kill her!" yelled the witch. "I know you had something to do with it! You were never like us! You were always so good and different, paling around with our stupid cousin! Now what have you done with Narcissa?"

"She's over there," said Andromeda, pointing with her wand to Lily's house.

"You transfigured her into a house!" the witch shrieked.

"Of course I didn't," said Andromeda. The witch even breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's under it," Andromeda added.

"Under it!" the witch cried. "What little git did that?"

Lily finally spoke, her guilty conscience coming forth. "I- I didn't mean to!" she trembled.

"She killed Narcissa!" the witch shouted. "I'll kill her! I'll kill her!"

"Oh, shut up Bellatrix," Andromeda said. "Aren't you forgetting about her emerald time-turner?"

Bellatrix had obviously forgotten about it, because her face showed recognition as she turned around to look at the house. "The time-turner!" She walked over eagerly to get them, but when she got there and pulled out her wand, crying, _"Accio time-turner!",_ nothing happened.

_"Accio time-turner!"_ said Bellatrix again, with more anger. Still, nothing happened.

_"Accio time-turner!"_ Bellatrix screamed at the top of her lungs. Nothing was happening.

"That's it! What have you done to it?" demanded the witch at Andromeda. "Stolen it for yourself, have you?"

"No," said Andromeda pleasantly. "I've found a new person for it."

Lily had no idea who Andromeda had been talking about until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She realized that something else felt different. Then she noticed that something she did not own was on her neck. The object was like a tiny, circular, hourglass necklace, but had many complicated things engraved on it, and it was made of emeralds. It must have been the time-turner the witches were talking about!

"You, girl!" Bellatrix screeched, rushing over to her. "Give me that time-turner! It has power you'd never understand! Give it to me! It'll be no use to you!"

"Oh, poo, it's too late!" Andromeda said hurriedly. "You have no power here, Bellatrix! There the emerald time-turner shall remain! Now be gone, before I decide to transfigure you into a house!"

Bellatrix sneered at Andromeda, and then looked scathingly over at Lily. "I'll get you, my mudblood! And that little time-turner too!"

With another loud whip crack and red smoke, Bellatrix was gone.

"It's all right, you can all come back out now," Andromeda called soothingly to the house-elves. As they slowly reappeared, she added to Lily, "You'd better go home, Bellatrix will be after you."

"But I don't know how to get home!" Lily said.

"Well, did you bring a broomstick? Or floo powder?"

"Um, no," Lily replied, wondering what on earth floo powder was.

"You can't go back the way you came either…you will have to see if the Great Black will help. Just follow the yellow brick road to get to the Great Black in Ebony City. But remember: don't take let the emerald time-turner out of your sight, and do not take it off! Goodbye!"

The house-elves began waving goodbye to Andromeda, but Lily protested.

"Wait! Don't go yet!"

It was too late though, Andromeda had already disappeared.

Lily looked around the land, and sure enough, spotted a yellow brick road. "Follow the yellow brick road…" she muttered as she walked over to the beginning of it.

"Follow the yellow brick road!" the house-elf named Dobby said.

"Follow the yellow brick road!" another house-elf said.

"Follow the yellow brick road!"

"Follow the yellow brick road!"

Lily followed the road, and the house-elves were so encouraging. They burst out into song as Lily skipped down the road to get to the Great Black. Whoever or whatever it was, it was her only chance to get back home. The cheery little house-elf voices made her eager as well.

_"Follow the yellow brick road!  
__Follow the yellow brick road!  
Follow, follow, follow, follow  
__Follow the yellow-brick road!  
Follow the yellow-brick, follow the yellow-brick  
Follow the yellow-brick road!_

_You're off to see the Wizard  
__The Wonderful Wizard of Black!  
You'll find he is a whiz of a wiz  
__If ever a wiz there was  
If ever, oh ever, a wiz there was  
__The Wizard of Black is one because  
Because, because, because, because, because  
Because of the wonderful things he does!  
You're off the see the wizard  
__The Wonderful Wizard of Black!"_

The yellow brick road began to leave House-Elf Land, and the house-elves waved goodbye as Lily skipped down the yellow brick road to find Ebony City.


	3. In Need of a Brain

**A/N**: Just thought I'd let you know that the version of 'If I Only Had a Brain' I used was the one in the musical, not the movie. If you don't know it, it's still the same, except it has two more verses at the end.

* * *

For quite a while, Lily walked down the yellow brick road. Occasionally, she would look at the little emerald time-turner that hung around her neck, wondering what on earth it did. Still, it was a pleasant journey because there were plenty of cheery flowers and a few little cottages as she exited House-Elf Land. But the road was quiet and uneventful except for blue birds chirping, until she reached a fork in the road.

Lily stopped and peered down both roads, trying to decide which way to go, when she noticed that a stag had come out was standing still on the road on the right, staring right at her. It would have been quite majestic looking had it not been staring at Lily with wide-eyes.

Because she really did have a love for animals, she slowly approached it. Every step she took toward the stag was a cautious one.

"It's all right," said Lily softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just think that you should get back onto the grass before someone comes along and runs over you…"

Yet the stag did nothing. It continued to stare at her with its wide, unblinking eyes.

When she was about three feet away from the stag, Lily gave up and decided that she'd just go on the other road. She turned her back and had only walked a few steps when a male voice called, "Wait! Don't go!"

Lily sharply turned around, looking all over for the source of the voice. But there was no one there except for herself and the stag. Words began to form in her head, and she started laughing before she said them.

"I'm going to sound crazy, asking an animal a question…" Lily began, laughing. She looked at the stag. "It's just…did you say something?"

And Lily was very surprised when the stag answered back, "Yes. I did."

Lily stared at the stag, looking completely lost. "No. No, you can't have."

The stag looked as if it had grinned. "Oh yes, I have."

"I definitely know I'm not in London anymore…" Lily muttered to herself, though it came out quite loud.

The stag said nothing, though it continued to grin and stare at her.

"So, not that I mind, or it's my place to ask, but what are you doing in the middle of the road?" asked Lily.

"I dunno," said the stag. "I felt like it. Generally, I live around here. It's not too bad."

"No, it isn't. It's really quite beautiful."

"And so are you," sighed the stag softly.

Lily had not heard what the stag had said.

"Pardon me?"

"Oh, I said, er… how are you?"

"I'm all right. It's just that I'm lost right now. You see, my name is Lily Evans, and I suddenly woke up to find myself in my house that dropped on a witch in House-Elf Land and now I'm walking down the yellow brick road to get to the Ebony City to see the Wizard of Black."

"Interesting," said the stag, who seemed to still be listening to the part where Lily had said her name. "That's a very pretty name."

"Thank you," said Lily, though a bit uncertain. It was very odd to have a stag talk to you and compliment your name. "What is yours?"

"I dunno," said the stag again. "Some person called me 'James' a long time ago, so I guess I just call myself that. It sounded kind of cool."

"That's not a bad name at all," said Lily. She looked away from James to look down the roads again. Sadly, they both looked rather identical. "Well, being that you've lived here, you must know the roads here pretty well."

"Yep," said James happily.

"Could you tell me which one I should go down?"

"Sure!" he said.

James turned around and looked one way, and then the other. Then he looked to the other road and back again. His inspecting seemed to go on for several minutes until finally, James gave an answer.

"I dunno."

Lily could sometimes be a bit of an impatient type when stressed, and she really wanted to get home. And now she had met a talking stag who had decided his name was James and stared at her stupidly and didn't have clear answers. It was beginning to get on her nerves.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she asked. "You must have at least some idea! And even if you didn't, you could at least say it in some way that doesn't sound like you're an idiot."

"Oh… I'm very, very sorry," said James, walking closer to her. "It's just… I haven't got a brain."

"Don't be silly. You must have one," soothed Lily. Though, if he didn't have one, she thought, it would really explain why he was acting like such an idiot.

"I really don't," continued James, his head nodding down, which made Lily back away a little so she would not get poked by his long antlers. "Oh, sorry," he said, as he noticed this and put his head back up. "I'm just a stupid git. I can never think straight or get stuff right, and I can't believe that I thought you could… well, I can't think, so never mind."

Lily patted James briefly on the head. She couldn't help it. "Well, what would you do if you could think? If you had a brain?"

Again, James took a while before answering. He stared around for a few seconds, and then suddenly began to sing.

_"I could wile away the hours  
__Conferrin' with the flowers  
__Consultin' with the rain  
__And my head I'd be scratchin'  
__While my thoughts were busy hatchin'  
__If I only had a brain."_

Lily realized that not only was it strange to see a stag talk and name himself James, but it was also very strange to see a stag sing. Yet, he seemed almost human, and his voice wasn't that bad. It almost seemed kind of romantic to her. Except for the part where she was in some crazy place, so thinking that James wasn't that bad was some crazy thought she was having. Maybe she needed a brain too.

James, however, appeared to be enjoying the song very much. In fact, he looked proud of himself for even coming up with the words suddenly.

_"I'd unravel any riddle_  
_For any individ'le  
In trouble or in pain."_

_"With the thoughts you'd be thinkin'_  
_You could be another Lincoln  
If you only had a brain,_" Lily found herself adding.

"Who's Lincoln?" James asked blankly, losing his song.

"Never mind," she said quickly. James appeared to shrug, and continued his song. He had even started kind of galloping along to it.

"_Oh, I would tell you why  
The ocean's near the shore  
I could think of things I never thunk before  
And then I'd sit and think some more!_

_I would not be just a nuffin'  
My head all full of stuffin'  
My heart all full of pain  
I would dance and be merry  
Life would be a ding-a-derry  
If I only had a brain!"_

James suddenly stopped singing.

"What's wrong?" asked Lily.

"I have some more words, but I can't remember them."

"Oh, that's all right. What you did was great. You don't ne-"

"Wait, I remember them now!" interrupted James and he continued.

_"Oh, I would tell you why_  
_The ocean's near the shore  
__I could think of things I'd never thought before"_

_"And then you'd sit and think some more!" _added Lily.

He nodded.

_"Gosh, it would be awful pleasin'  
__To reason out the reason  
__For things I can't explain  
__Then perhaps I'd deserve ya  
__And be even worthy 'erve ya…  
__If I only had a brain!"_

James looked at Lily, and then flopped down and sighed. "Oh, if I only had a brain!

Lily clapped for him. She wasn't even sure that what she had just seen was real. "Who says you haven't got a brain? I don't know anyone in London who would think a stag who can talk and sing didn't have a brain." She paused. "Then again, they'd probably think I'm crazy."

"You're too pretty to be crazy," James blurted out. "I mean, er, what's London?"

Ignoring what James had just said to her (and hoping that it was just a result of him not having a brain), Lily answered his question. "London is where I live, and I'm going to the Ebony City to see the the Wizard of Black so I can try and get back there."

"So you're going to see a Wizard?" James asked.

Lily nodded.

"Can I come with you?" asked James. A little too quickly. "I mean… if this Wizard can get you back to London, then don't you think he could get me some brains?"

"I suppose he could," Lily said. "And if he didn't, then at least you'd have a bit of an adventure."

She stopped. What was she doing? Did she really want this…idiot to come with her?

"But wait…maybe you better not come. There's a witch mad at me, and she might go after you too."

James laughed. "A witch? I'm not scared of any witch. I'm not scared of anything!" He straightened himself, and stood as majestically as possible.

Lily raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked slightly embarrassed. "I'd fight anything if it would help you get back to London. Look, I won't be any trouble, because I can't think, which is why I won't get you into trouble. I hope. Well, what I mean is, will you let me come with you?"

"I will," Lily said before she could stop herself. That dumb stag…it was manipulating her!

"Hurray! We're off to see a Wizard!" James jumped up and accidentally poked Lily with his antlers.

"Ow!" Lily frowned. "You're not starting off very well."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! It was just an accident." He shook his head a bit, and tried to give Lily the most charming smile that a stag could manage. He didn't want Lily to dislike him. "I'll try hard. Really, I will." Nodding his head, he added, "To Black?"

"To Black," Lily agreed, and stepped beside him on the path they were on.

Together, they skipped off down the yellow brick road.

"_We're off to see the Wizard  
The Wonderful Wizard of Black!  
We hear he is a Whiz of a Wiz  
If ever a Wiz there was!  
If ever, oh ever, a Wiz there was  
The Wizard of Black is one because  
Because, because, because, because, because  
Because of the wonderful things he does!  
We're off the see the Wizard  
The Wonderful Wizard of Black!"_


	4. Longing for a Heart

**A/N: **Just mentioning that the version of 'If I Only Had a Heart' used in this chapter is the one from the musical. However, it is just like the one in the movie except it has a verse at the beginning and one at the end. Also, I've filked the first verse and the first two lines of the second one so it would make sense with this story. Enjoy!

* * *

The yellow brick road seemed to be just the same as it was before, except as Lily and James got further on, a few more trees appeared, and the sky became a little darker.

James had turned out to be quite an interesting companion. He kept insisting on walking right beside or in front of Lily, this way he could protect her in case she got hurt. Though, nothing too frightening came as their journey went on.

"You know, I think I'm just going to sit and rest for a few minutes," said Lily. "I've gotten quite tired. What about you?"

"Eh, well, I run a lot, so I'm not too tired," James said proudly. "But of course I will wait here until you're ready to continue walking."

"Thanks," said Lily, scanning the area. There were trees, bushes, and some more trees, but a willow one caught her eye. She always loved willow trees, and the stories she had read about so many people sitting under them. The trunk of the willow tree was very thick, and it would be just perfect for resting against. So, Lily walked over to the tree to sit down, but before she could even get to the trunk, she was smacked hardly in the stomach.

"Ow!" Lily cried. "That tree! It just hit me!"

Indeed it had. Another branch of the willow tree came and smacked Lily's arm.

"Don't worry!" called James. "I've got it! I can't think, so I'll use my head! Quick, move!"

As Lily tried turning another way and running off (half to escape the tree, and half to escape James' antlers), another branch came and hit her in the other arm.

James charged toward the attacking tree branch, his antlers in front of him like a sword. However, a tree branch just smacked his antlers and he fell sideways with his antlers poking the trunk.

"Oof," James groaned. "Now that hurt."

"Are you okay?" Lily asked, rubbing her arms and running toward him. "Wait a moment…"

She looked back up at the tree, whose branches kept still as stone.

"James!" Lily cried. "You saved us! It must have really worked!"

"I'll say it did," said James, shaking his head again. "I'm sure going to feel this in the morning. Although, I think I just hit that really big knot in the trunk."

Lily peered over at it, and noticed something else. "There's a tunnel under this tree!"

James looked, and got to his feet. "So there is. Do you want to go in?"

"Well, I am kind of curious as to what's in there," Lily admitted.

"Then I will lead you down, just in case something attacks us," James said. "And better yet, maybe it's a shortcut!" He slowly departed into the tunnel and Lily followed behind.

After just a few minutes, an opening appeared in the tunnel.

"Finally! We get somewhere!" cried James. He looked around, frowning. "I guess this wasn't a shortcut after all."

They had arrived into what seemed to be an underground house that had been neglected and not cared for. Many items in the house such as chairs, tables, and walls had been ripped and broken. Lily slowly walked around them and entered into another room.

This room was just as much destroyed as the last one, but there was one noticeable difference in here: There were chains, and chained to the wall was a boy.

He looked as if he were Lily's own age, though he somehow still looked much older due to the exhaustion he wore on his face. His wrists were locked into chains, which were tightly bound to the wall.

Lily could feel her eyes tearing at the sight of it. "You poor thing! Can I do anything to help?"

The boy had been breathing very hardly, and looked up toward Lily as she spoke.

"Please. Just… just go away."

"How can you expect me to go away when you're here like this?" Lily asked him. "I'm going to help you, no matter what you say."

"Yeah," piped in James. "So you'd better let her help you, or I'll just have to attack you."

"James!" scolded Lily. "I thought you said you were going to act nice."

"I am acting nicely," said James. "I'm helping to get your point across."

"Don't mind him," said Lily quickly to the boy. "He's just acting like an animal."

"No, don't apologize," said the boy hoarsely. "I can understand. Now then, if you really insist on helping me, then I will let you, and then you must go away."

"All right," Lily agreed. She would help him, but why did he want them to go away.

"First, you see that key over the fireplace over there?" said the boy. "If you could just bring that here, and it should unchain me."

Lily walked over to the mantle, and took a copper key down. She then walked over to the poor looking boy, and examined the chains until she found the locks. She twisted the key in them, and they opened.

"Oh, thank Merlin for that, no matter if it was the best for me," murmured the boy. He wearily got up to his feet and walked slowly over to a side table with a leg missing. As he pulled one of the drawers open, it revealed what looked like a potion. He then pulled out an old cup, poured some of the potion into it, and drank it. Apparently, the boy didn't like it very much, because he pulled a face after finishing it and coughed. He then pocketed a small jar of it.

"What are you doing here like this?" Lily asked him sadly as he retreated to a chair.

"You've helped me. Now just go for your own good."

"Why?" Lily asked again.

"Just go."

"No," said Lily. "Please. Just tell me. That's all I ask."

He looked tentative for a moment, and then sighed. "Fine. Sit down or stand over by the exit. You'll probably like the last one better."

Lily and James, however, did not move.

"Ah… well, you see," began the boy. "This all started long ago. I was just a normal, intelligent child named Remus until… until…" This seemed to be the point that he had been dreading to tell them, because he paused a few seconds, then swallowed and said softly, "until I became a werewolf."

Lily gasped. "A werewolf! No… this is all not possible."

Remus smiled grimly. "You're in Black. Anything is possible."

"But… I mean, you don't seem like a werewolf at all!" said Lily.

"Not now, of course," said Remus. "Later I will. A werewolf, of course, transforms on the full moon. And that's why I was brought here. I have lived here in this house. That's the reason why it is so damaged, and why there is a violent willow tree at the entrance. It was supposed to keep anyone from getting in here, such as your selves, when I was a monster. Though, there was a way to stop the tree from thrashing, which was by pressing a knot on the trunk. However, I don't think you could have known that, so I am wondering how exactly you figured it out?"

"I used my head," James answered. "And it's still throbbing."

"Sorry," Remus grimaced. "I really don't want to hurt you, or anyone. But… but my wolf mind does. I would travel out of here and along the lands of Black, searching for something to eat, something to kill. And… sadly I've done it. Many, many times." His head bowed down, and he looked ashamed of himself. "You can go now, I don't think you really want to stay here any longer and here the rest of it."

"Actually, I do," said Lily. She was unable to explain why she was befriending stags, befriending werewolves, not to mention knowing that they could exist.

"Well… Bellatrix, the Witch of the West came. And she told me she was doing me a favor. The potion I've just drunk from is the Wolfsbane Potion, which is something new. Just as long as I take it the week before the full moon, I should just be a harmless wolf. However, Bellatrix put it in a drawer. She then said that if I were locked up, it would do everyone a favor. And I'd started to believe her. I'm not sure how long, but I've been locked against that wall for so long so that I didn't go out an attack anyone. I couldn't reach the key, and the locks were so magical that they couldn't even be broken when I was transforming. It's been… very painful and lonely here. The last person I've spoken with was Bellatrix, and I don't even know how long ago that was. It feels like ages." He sighed again. "Well, I suppose you should go now."

"Oh, nonsense," said Lily. "You've suffered, and I know I can't do anything for you. But I know someone who can."

"Who?" asked Remus. He sounded excited, yet hopeless at the same time.

"The Wizard," said Lily. "After all, I'm going there so that I can get back home."

"And so that I can get some brains," added James.

"Yes," said Lily. "And I'm sure that he'd put a stop to you being a werewolf."

"That's very nice of you to offer," said Remus quietly. "But I know that even the Wizard can't help me. There's no cure to being a werewolf."

"There must be something he can do to help you," Lily pressed on.

James nodded. "I thought I was hopeless for having no brains, but he's going to help me. He'll help you too, I'm sure."

"Well…" Remus said tentatively. "It's kind of silly, really, but… sometimes I think that no matter how monstrous I am, I could still be good."

"That's not silly at all," Lily reassured.

"Nope. It's just ridiculous," James said.

Lily frowned and Remus looked over with a hurt expression.

"Look, because I have no brains, I don't know when you're not supposed to joke around," James explained to them. "Sorry. Go on, Remus."

Remus became a little embarrassed as he carried on. "I mean, werewolves aren't always bad. Well, Bellatrix has influenced most of them around here, and all they want to do is go around hurting and killing people, but I don't. I really don't want to be a dark creature. I just want to be normal, and help people. But as a werewolf, that can't happen."

"Why not?" asked Lily.

"I haven't got a heart," Remus told them. "There's no way I could ever be kind and loving without one. You see…"

He got up off his chair and began to sing.

_"I'm a cursed man  
__Changing to a beast  
__Then my mind's gone and I'm unaware  
__As a wolf I know the least  
__Who I have been hurting here or there  
__And as a wolf I don't really care_

_As a monster killing through night  
__I should not care what is right  
__And yet I'm torn apart  
__Just because I'm presumin'  
__That I could be kind of human  
__If I only had a heart_

_I'd be tender, I'd be gentle  
__And awful sentimental  
Regarding love and art  
I'd be friends with the sparrows  
And the boy that shoots the arrows  
If I only had a heart."_

He sighed once more, with an aching in his voice, and continued, looking somewhat dreamy.

_"Picture me a balcony  
Above a voice sings low"_

_"Wherefore art thou, Romeo?" _James joked.

Remus smiled to himself. "_I hear a beat!"_

_"How sweet!" _Lily beamed at Remus.

_"Just to register emotion, jealousy, devotion  
__And really feel the part  
__I could stay young and chipper  
__And I'd lock it with a zipper  
__If I only had a heart…"_

He laughed softly to himself and smiled at Lily and James sadly.

_"Oh I may be presumin'  
__That I could be kinda human  
__I'd be friends with the sparrows  
__And the boy that shoots the arrows"_

_"You could stay young and chipper," _Lily mentioned.

_"And I'd lock it with a zipper"_ Remus agreed.  
_"If I only"_

_"If you only," _added Lily

_"If you only,"_ James put in.

_"Had a heart…"_ Remus sighed again, and sat back down on the chair.

"You must come with us to Ebony City now!" said Lily. "You don't act like a werewolf at all! The Wizard would have to give you a heart!"

"Oh, would I hope," said Remus. "But he probably wouldn't. People do have a lot of things against werewolves."

"At least you'd have gotten out of this dungeon here," Lily pointed out.

At that moment, maniacal burst of laughter came followed by a large crack and the three looked to see who was laughing. It was Bellatrix, the Wicked Witch of the West. Draped in her black cloak, she was sitting in one of the boarded up windows that she had just broken open.

"Leaving, are you?" she cackled. "Well, I see that you've found yourself some escorts, little lady."

"You!" cried Remus, looking up angrily at Bellatrix. "You're the one that did this to me! Get out of here!"

"Oh, I will, in good time," said Bellatrix. "But in the meantime, I'd advise you two nasty animals to leave the girl alone. Stag, your head would look awfully nice placed above my fireplace!"

"No! You wouldn't want that! I'd, um, talk too much!" said James quickly.

"You certainly haven't got a brain, now do you?" Bellatrix chuckled. She then turned to Remus. "And as for you, you're still a wolf, no matter what. It can always be a full moon, whenever I'd like it too…"

She waved her wand, and a small model of a full moon appeared. Remus did not transform, though he cringed down at the sight of it, holding his head.

Bellatrix laughed in a satisfied way and took the moon away. "It's not over yet!" she called at them. "Your journey is longer than you've ever imagined! I'll get you all in time!" After another crazy laugh, she disappeared with her usual crack.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked Remus, who got up from the floor, shaking slightly.

"Fine, fine," said Remus. "I've gotten used to seeing that by now- er, forgive me, I've just realized that I've lost my manners. What are your names?"

"My name is Lily," said Lily.

"And I'm James," declared the stag.

"Lily and James," repeated Remus. "It sounds a lot like a couple."

"Well, we're not," said Lily.

"Yes, exactly," said James, though he looked a little sad at this prospect. "We're just good friends. And I'll help Lily get to the Wizard no matter what. That Witch'll never make me a decorative piece in her living room!"

"And those full moons of hers won't get to me," said Remus. "I've had to go through tons of transformations. She can't make it any worse."

"Should we get on then?" said James. "The faster we get Lily to the Wizard, the faster she's safe."

Lily smiled at James, and then at Remus. They began their exit through the tunnel, and though no one said a thing, they all felt as if they were with such good friends.

"To Black?" Lily asked the two when they were out and back on the yellow brick road.

"To Black," Remus agreed.

"To Black!" James shouted.

_"We're off to see the Wizard!  
The Wonderful Wizard of Black!  
We hear he is a Whiz of a Wiz  
If ever a Wiz there was!  
If ever, oh ever, a Wiz there was  
The Wizard of Black is one because  
Because, because, because, because, because  
Because of the wonderful things he does!  
We're off the see the Wizard  
The Wonderful Wizard of Black!"_


	5. Coming for Courage

Nothing as frightening as the Witch's encounter occurred to the trio as they continued their way down the yellow brick road. However, James did seem to have a habit of staring at Lily a lot. Lily tried to ignore this behavior and looked straight ahead for quite some time, though it never made James stop.

"Oh, look, apples!" cried Lily when they reached some trees that were filled with the fruit.

"Apples?" asked James, who began to frantically look around. "What's apples?"

"Don't worry, it's just something you eat," explained Remus. He pointed at the trees. "They're over there."

"I see them!" yelled James. "Those little birds that are hanging upside down on one foot! Ha ha, they're kind of weird looking, and awfully fat. I can't believe you guys are going to eat those things! Imagine, eating birds!"

"Uh… James…" began Remus shiftily. "Could you… could you please stop talking about eating birds?"

"You're so silly," said Lily to James, who was over at one of the apple trees as the boys walked over toward her. "Apples aren't birds. Apples are fruit, and they're delicious. You see, living things need to eat them so we can stay healthy."

"Well, I don't need to eat apples," James laughed. Then a thought struck him, and his eyes widened. With a note of fear in his voice, he said, "Does that mean I'm not alive?"

"Oh, no, you're alive, all right," said Lily. "You're the liveliest person I've ever met."

"Stags don't eat apples. They have different eating habits. So, James, what do you normally eat?" asked Remus.

"Grass," answered James.

"Ah. Well, there's some grass here. You could go and eat that."

Lily and Remus both picked an apple from the tree, and James went over to a very grassy area and chewed on it a bit. As Lily sat beneath the tree and ate her apple, James began staring at her again, forgetting all about the grass.

"Hmm, you like her, don't you?" whispered Remus shrewdly in James' ear as he sat next to him.

"Sure I do," said James, still gazing over at Lily. "How could you not like her?"

"No, I mean like… you have these fluttering feelings around her," continued Remus. "You really like her. I can tell. You can probably feel it in your heart. You're awfully lucky to have one."

"But I need brains," said James. "She just thinks I'm a silly tagalong. An idiot. I'm just too stupid for her. Not to mention the obvious. Remus, she's a human. I'm a stag."

"Which isn't any worse than being a werewolf," Remus pointed out. "You can just clean up your act a little, act charming, and get love. I, on the other hand, would end up killing love before I found it."

"You're an awfully depressing person," said James stiffly, though he looked at Remus sadly. "Now I need to go stare at Lily to make myself happy again." And he did just that.

"What are you two talking about over there?" called Lily.

"Nothing," said Remus, for James seemed to have been oblivious of anything going on as he gaped at Lily. "We just can't wait to get back on our journey. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," said Lily. "Once we find the Wizard, everything will be great. Let's go."

Remus stood up, and then nudged the love-struck James with his foot. "Come on."

"Oh! Yes!" said James, waking up from his little dreamland. "To Oz we go!"

The three began walking down the yellow brick road again, and as usual, James started to stare at Lily. During one time, as the stag stared, he lost his balance and knocked into Lily, who stumbled and fell into Remus, who staggered and then stepped on something with a _squish._

"Oops," said James. "Everyone okay?"

"Apart from falling over, yes," Lily grumbled, getting back up and brushing her knees off.

"I'm fine, I only stepped on something," said Remus. "I'm okay."

"See, no one's hurt!" James said to Lily, trying to redeem himself in her eyes. "Everyone occasionally trips. Everything's good. All is well."

There was a whimper from Remus.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked him.

"I thought everything was okay!" said James.

"Oh, don't mind me, I'm fine," said Remus, who was looking down at the ground where he had stepped on something. "It's just… I… oh, I killed that poor, innocent beetle!" While many would shrug it off, Remus found this to indeed something to be upset about.

"Relax, it doesn't matter. It was a beetle," Lily said and patted his arm.

"Oh, but I killed it!" protested Remus. "And I'm not even a wolf right now! Don't you think it's better that you don't kill anything when you can help it? I'm such a monster. I'm a heartless beast, that's what I am."

"No you're not," said James. "You're not a beast. You just had an accident. I have those all the time."

"Oh, but-"

"Listen, Remus," Lily said. "We'll soon be at Ebony City, and then you'll be able to get a heart. You won't have to worry about that any longer."

"I do hope you're right." Remus frowned at the squashed beetle, and then continued walking.

Several minutes later, there was another fork in the yellow brick road. One path led to a field of flowers, and the other to a dark forest.

"Which way should we go?" asked James to the two.

"This could be a trick," said Lily. "I've read in stories where there are two roads, and people go down the nicer looking one, and they always get hurt. I think we should go down the forest."

"Well then you haven't read any of the books that I have," Remus told her. "There's never anything good about a dark forest. I say we go through the flowers."

"No, I think the forest is better. The flowers are probably poisonous," said Lily.

"You're going to regret the forest. Trust me. You want to go through the flowers," said Remus.

The two frowned at each other, and then looked at James.

"James, what do you think?" asked Lily.

"I dunno," came James' standard reply.

"There you go again!" said Lily. "Always saying 'I dunno'."

"No, wait, I actually said 'I dunno' because… because I don't like to take sides," invented James. "But Lily, I do think you're awfully wise. The forest is a good idea."

"Forest it is, then," said Lily. "Come on, let's go!"

Lily was the first to go, and James and Remus followed behind her.

"You only said that to agree with her," Remus muttered to James.

"Perhaps," grinned James, and he galloped ahead to walk along Lily.

As the three got in deeper, the forest only got darker.

"Okay… maybe you were right, Remus," admitted Lily a while later. "This forest is kind of creepy."

"You don't think we'll run into any wild animals, do you?" asked James.

"We probably will," said Remus.

"Well, uh, what kinds?" asked James. "Nothing that a stag can't handle, right?"

Remus turned his head and observed the forest closer. "Hmm. I think I might've been here once. I can just scarcely remember it. If we run into anything, it'll mainly just be… Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls."

"Ha! Trolls!" laughed James. "I'll tackle any old Troll. The dumb little baldies…"

I just don't know what Red Caps and Kappas are," said Lily.

"Red Caps are creatures that can bludgeon people to death, and Kappas are water demons that feed on human blood."

"Oh, that sounds pleasant," said James sarcastically.

"But as long as we stay together, we shouldn't run into them," added Remus.

Lily tried to be agreeable to this, but was still frightened. "Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls," she repeated to herself. "Oh my."

"Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls," James said, looking around for some.

"Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls," Remus nodded.

The three huddled closer together, and all seemed bewitched by their little chant. It was an unspoken agreement that the sooner they were out of there, the better.

"Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls!" they cried as they sped up. "Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls!"

"Oh my!" winced Lily.

"Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls!"

"Oh my!"

"Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls!"

"Oh my!"

"Red Caps and Kappas and-"

"RAAAWR!"

As the roar blasted through the forest, the three shivered and clung on to each other. Whatever it was sounded so terrifying that Lily and Remus didn't even seem to mind that James was inadvertently poking them with his antlers.

"What was that?" cried Lily.

"Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls?" suggested James weakly.

The roar sounded again, followed by a frightened squeak.

"Oh great, the other animals are scared too!" said James.

"So!" called a voice from within the forest. "Newcomers to my land! Get off of it! Or I'll fight you all! Come on, come on!"

"Uh… no thanks," said James.

"Fight, fight!" the voice cheered. "Ooh, I can fight you all together! I'll close my eyes if you want! Or I'll go on one foot!"

"We're just passing through!" said Remus quickly. "Leave us alone!"

The voice laughed.

"Well… Remus… you seem to be quite experience in dealing with these things," began James.

"I do?"

"Why don't you go over there and teach him a lesson?" said James.

"But… I don't even know him!" Remus hurriedly added. "And I don't want to fight!"

"Oh, don't want to fight, eh?" asked the voice. "Okay then. I'll take a hostage. How about the girl?"

"No you don't!" declared James. "Wherever you are, I'll charge you with my antlers, and believe me, they hurt! And Remus here will use his past werewolf transformations as an advantage and attack you!"

"I will?" asked Remus.

But Remus had no need to worry, because the voice began sniffing and then broke out into a whine. "Okay, okay, I won't do anything! Please don't hurt me!"

"How do we know you're not about to attack us? That could just be a clever plan!" called out James.

"No, really, it's not. Just don't hurt me. Look, I'll even come out!" said the voice.

The trio looked around, expecting for a large creature to emerge from the forest. But apart from a few rustlings, they saw nothing.

"Well? Where are you?" yelled James.

"I'm already out!" said the voice.

The three looked down, and there on the dirt floor of the forest was a little grey rat.

"Uh… hi," said the rat. There was no mistaking it. The rat sounded a lot more scared and squeaky now, but the voice compared to the loud screaming voice earlier sounded the same.

"Oh, you've got to be jesting with me!" said James in an exasperated tone.

"No…" squeaked the rat. "I'm not."

Lily looked down at the rat and frowned. "What was that for?"

"I just wanted to frighten you all. You know. I'm a rat. I'm creepy." As the rat spoke the words, he even sounded unbelieving. James started tapping his hoof on the ground. The rat screamed.

"Eek, stop doing that! You might step on me!"

"You're acting like such a coward!" said Lily. "You try and scare us like that and now you come out and begin begging for mercy?"

"I know, I'm a coward, it's true!" said the rat, beginning to cry. "How could I not be? I know that I'm supposed to be a horrifying, creepy animal that makes people scream, but I'm afraid of everything here! I'm even afraid of my own family! I'm afraid of myself! I can't even sleep!"

"Have you tried counting sheep?" asked Remus. "It worked well for me when I tried it. Er… except I had to stop counting sheep because I kept imagining them as dinner…"

"But I'm afraid of sheep!" cried the rat. "Even the unicorns that sometimes appear!"

"Well, he sure seems hopeless," James muttered to Remus. Then in a louder voice, he added, "Why don't we take him with us to see the Wizard?"

"What Wizard?" asked the rat. "Is he scary?"

"Well, I don't know," said Lily. "We're all going to see him. That's why we've been on the yellow brick road here."

"Oh, take me with you! Please!" said the rat.

"What do you all say?" said Remus. "I don't think it could do any harm to add another passenger on our journey."

"Yes, come on with us," said Lily kindly. "Perhaps the Wizard can get you some courage."

"I'd like that," said the rat, nodding. "I'd sure like that a lot. That's what I need. In fact…"

In another second, the rat began to sing in his squeaky little voice.

_"Life is sad, believe me, missy  
__When you're born to be a sissy  
__Without the vim and verve  
__But it might be less funny  
__That I'm so afraid of bunnies  
__If I only had the nerve_

_I'm afraid that you could say that  
__I'm just a scaredy dumb rat  
__A fate I don't deserve  
__I'd be brave as a blizzard-"_

_"I'd be gentle as a lizard," _added Remus.

_"I'd be clever as a gizzard," _declared James.

_"If the Wizard is a Wizard who will serve," _Lily pointed out.

_"Then I'm sure to get a brain!" _James grinned.

_"A heart!"_ Remus smiled.

_"A home!" _sang Lily thoughtfully.

_"The nerve!" _sang the rat.

"So then, do you have a name?" James asked him.

"Nope," said the rat.

"I think we should call him Peter," Remus said.

"Why Peter?" James asked.

"Because Peter just seems to fit him," Remus shrugged.

"Alright then, Peter, is that good with you?" James asked.

"Sure," said Peter the rat.

"To Black," Lily said.

"To Black!" agreed James and Remus.

"Wait!" interrupted Peter. "Black is a dark color. Are you sure this Wizard isn't scary?"

"We'll just have to find out," said Lily. "Come on, Peter!"

The four stood together and made their way through the dark forest. Keeping their mind off of Red Caps and Kappas and Trolls, they sang their song to lift their spirits.

_"We're off to see the Wizard  
__The wonderful Wizard of Black!  
__We hear he is a whiz of a Wiz  
__If ever a Wiz there was!  
__If ever, oh ever, a Wiz there was  
__The Wizard of Black is one because  
__Because, because, because, because, because  
__Because of the wonderful things he does!  
__We're off to see the Wizard  
__The Wonderful Wizard of Black!"_


	6. Flying to Ebony City

But the happiness of the group did not suit Bellatrix much at all.

"Not going to take my warnings, then?" she said as she sat in her dark and gloomy castle, looking at them through her crystal ball. "I'll just have to put an end to you sooner than later! Then I will have that emerald time-turner, and have the greatest power in all Black! Ha ha ha! So now… how to do it… this must be done delicately and precisely…"

Bellatrix pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm… it can't be too obvious, now. It must seem innocent and useful to them…" As she rubbed her index finger around the crystal ball while she thought, an idea came to her. "Broomsticks! Yes, broomsticks will lead them to their end!"

Satisfied, she waved her wand around the crystal ball whilst muttering an incantation, and then whisked away.

----

The first glimpse of Ebony City came to Lily, James, Remus, and Peter just as they exited the dark forest. The black castle sat at the very top of a large rolling hill. However, from their distance away, the castle looked like a little dot on a green hill.

"Oh, look! It's so beautiful!" cried Lily, pointing toward the castle in the distance. "It's just there! Up that hill!"

James craned his head up to look. "Yeah, and we're down here."

Remus grimaced at the sight. "We'll just have to walk up there."

"That's going to take forever!" Peter whined. "It's such a high hill! And my legs are so tiny!"

"You know quite well that one of us is going to end up carrying you," said Remus, who had grown quite used to the way Peter's mind worked.

"I'll carry Peter, I don't mind," offered Lily.

However, her words had been drowned out by James' cry of, "Look! Broomsticks!"

Indeed, there were four brooms laid neatly together on the grass.

"I've seen people ride these things," James informed them, looking proud of himself. "We can ride them and make the journey shorter and less work!"

"I can't ride on that!" said Peter. "It's too big! And I'd be afraid to be on it all by myself."

"Well, then you can go on someone else's with them," said James, waving his head impatiently. "What do you say, Lily?"

"I don't know…" Lily said, staring at the broomsticks with a slight face. "I've never used a broomstick before…"

"I'll help you then, Lily!" James said eagerly, though he truly had no exact idea of how to use the broomstick.

Lily tried to force a smile. "You don't know how to use this at all, do you?"

"Erm… no," James admitted.

"Here, let me do this," said Remus, stepping forward. "I have a general idea of how it works, but I'd rather not use one. I'll just walk with James, since I'm assuming that you're not going to be using one of those?"

"Why not?" asked James. "Those look fun!"

"Yes, but… you see, stags aren't meant to fly on brooms. You'd probably fall over."

"Oh, fine," said James, scowling.

Remus handed Lily a broom. "Here. Now you just swing your leg over it, and then you gently kick off from the ground. You don't have to go fast at all, since I don't think you'll be comfortable with that."

"No, not really," said Lily, taking the broom and sitting on it. "Thanks for the instructions."

"Now wait a minute, I'm not going to walk!" said Peter. "But I can try and help Lily. I'll just sit on the front. Someone help me up."

Lily bent down and picked up the little rat and put him on the front of the broom.

"Don't go too fast, now," warned Peter.

"Gently kick off from the ground," Remus told her.

It was the strangest experience Lily had had in her entire life, besides becoming the national hero of a city made up of House-Elves. But yet, it was also one of the best ones. It was a little nerve-wracking to ride a broomstick, but there was such freedom, such exhilaration.

"I wish I could ride on one of those too," said James from the ground.

"I'm sorry, James," said Lily. "It's kind of weird though. I'm nervous that I'll fall."

"Yes, I don't like them much either," said Remus. "Just go slow. You should be all right."

"What are you all talking about?" said Peter, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. "This is fun!"

"Oh, thanks for rubbing it in, Peter," snapped James good-naturedly.

Though the broom was at a slow pace, in just a few minutes the four were already much closer to the Ebony City. They were halfway up the hill when Lily's broom started to slow down.

"What's wrong, Lily?" asked James. "Is your broom breaking?"

"No… no…" said Lily, bringing the broom to a stop and swinging her leg back over it. "It's just I'm getting so tired."

"Well, I guess it's possible that you're tired since it's your first ride," said Remus. "But you were going at a nice pace."

"I think I'm just going to have to take a nap here…" Lily put the broom down, and then slowly lay down in the grass.

"Aw, okay," said James, but he was stuck with some decisions. Should they hurry to the Ebony City or let Lily rest? "We're almost there."

"Please, Lily," said Remus, extending his hand to pull her up. "I know you're tired, but you can't just sleep in the middle of a hill. Let's at least get to the city and perhaps you can sleep there."

But Lily was already falling asleep. "No… I just need to rest my eyes… Just for a minute…" She closed her eyes, and in another second, was in a deep sleep.

"You know… I think I might just take a nap too…" added Peter.

"You?" exclaimed James. "You didn't even do anything! How are you tired?"

Peter yawned. "I just am…" He too fell to the ground near Lily and fell asleep.

As James pushed the snoring Peter a little farther away from Lily with his hoof, Remus picked up the broomstick and examined it. He rubbed his fingers against it, then peered at it, and even sniffed it.

"You know what?" said Remus to James. "I believe this is a spell. A spell to make us fall asleep!"

"But who would want to do that?" James asked. The answer hit him a second later.

"The Witch!"

"It's a good thing you can't ride a broomstick and I chose to walk. I think that it makes whoever was riding the broomstick fall asleep, and since Lily and Peter were…"

James wasn't even listening to Remus' explanation, and was instead more concerned with Lily. "What do we do?"

"I don't know!" said Remus. "I haven't got a wand, and at any rate, I haven't done magic in years. The best we can do is call for help. Help! Oh, help! Help!"

"That's stupid!" said James, purposely poking Remus with his antlers. "The forest wasn't full of anything helpful, and we're too far away from the city for anyone to hear us!"

"Then we'll run up closer to the city and ask for help!" suggested Remus quickly.

"I'm not leaving Lily!" protested James.

"Well… then… You stay here, and I'll go!" said Remus.

"No, don't!" yelled James. "The Witch might try and get you while you're gone!"

"Then _what_?" asked Remus. "There's nothing we can do! Poor Lily! Poor Peter! Oh…" Tears began forming in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks as he looked at their two sleeping companions. "Oh, we'll never get them back! I know not even chocolate will work, and that's supposed to work for almost anything!" He sniffed a little more.

"Stop crying and do something useful!" James snapped.

Remus wiped his eyes with a torn sleeve and began yelling, "Help! Help, please!"

James rolled his eyes. "That wasn't useful! No one can hear us!" After a moment's pause, in an act of being hypocritical, James began shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Help us! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP!"

And suddenly, it began to rain Golden Snitches.

"What are these?" James asked as they fell down. He heard no reply from Remus, but he was not waiting for one anyway. "It's…tiny golden flying balls! Maybe they can help!" He looked over at Lily hopefully. "Oh, but they couldn't help," he said sadly. "I really like these balls, though." James rolled one around by prodding it with his hoof and began to play with it, but then he heard someone stir. He looked over and saw Lily awakening. "Oh, perhaps they did help! Lily, you're waking up! You're waking up!"

"Yes…I suppose I am," Lily said slowly, rubbing her head as she began to stand up.

Peter was still not awake, though he had been mumbling in his sleep. "I am loyal…to…the forest. No, myself. I mean, the forest. I am the King. But I am loyal to myself…"

James looked over at Lily, hoping to get a reaction from her, but she was not looking at him. He went over and kicked Peter. "Stop mumbling about where your loyalties lie and wake up!"

Peter gave a huge yawn and opened his eyes, blinking at the falling Golden Snitches. "Unusual weather we're having, ain't it?"

Lily looked up at James and Remus and smiled. "It's a good thing the both of you were here to help."

"Well, actually, what happened was-" began Remus, but James cut him off.

"That's right! We helped a lot, and these little golden balls came flowing down! Look, some of them are flying! I… I wish I could keep one…" He gave a sigh. The old 'poor me, I'm a stag' routine.

"I can keep one in my basket for you," offered Lily.

"Would you? Would you really?" asked James. "Yippee!"

Lily picked the shiniest Golden Snitch she saw on the ground and put it in her pocket for James. She then checked to make sure Peter was still with them, and looked back at James and Remus. "I think we're ready to continue now. But… Remus! Why have you been crying?" she asked, now realizing Remus discreetly wiping the ends of his eyes with his sleeve.

"It's just so beautiful!" he cried. Lily assumed he must have been talking about Ebony City. And he probably was. But he was also thinking about two things: one started with 'J', and the other with 'L'.

----

"In the name of Merlin!" Bellatrix growled, still watching the four from her crystal ball. "Somebody is always helping that girl! But don't worry…I'll still conquer her! I certainly will! And woe to those who try and stop me!" she cackled maniacally and left the crystal ball.

----

There was only a short distance to go to reach Ebony City, and the four ran quick as they could. They reached the sparkling black door, and Lily pressed the black doorbell.

A window opened, and looking out was a man. He was quite attractive, but there was still something sinister about him. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you how to read?" he asked them, glaring at Lily.

"Of course," Remus said, frowning at the man's rudeness.

"Yes! We _do_ know how to read, thank you!" James added in the same tone as the man.

"What would you like us to read?" asked Remus.

"This!" yelled the man, and he pushed a sign out the window that landed hard on James' head, and slammed the little window. Though it hurt him, James' tried not to react to it.

"Be- ell out-ee of oh-der," read James. "Funny thing is, it looks just like the words 'Bell out of order'…"

Remus rolled his eyes slightly. "That's because it _is_," he whispered to James.

"'Bell out of order. Punch the House-Elf in the head'," Lily read the sign. "Oh, now that isn't very nice! I wonder what House-Elf land would think?"

"They'd probably make you not only their town hero, but their town spokesperson against cruelties," said Peter.

Wincing, Lily closed her eyes and smacked the stuffed House-Elf head attached to the sign. The stuffed House-Elf head screamed as if it had actual pain, but before Lily could question, the sign had disappeared.

The window opened up again and the man was back. "Good, now what do you want?" he asked rudely.

"We're here to see the Great Black," said Lily.

"You want to see the Great Black?" the man asked. "Everyone wants to see him! I wish he'd just snuff it already! You're wasting my time! I hate this job!"

"No, wait, please don't go!" said Lily. "I've been send by the Good Witch of the North, Andromeda, to see him,"

"Ha! That's a good story," laughed the man coldly. "Why don't you prove it?"

"She has the emerald time-turner!" James said, gesturing his head to the time-turner around Lily's neck.

The man looked down and scowled. "Well then, I s'pose I have to let you in. Hurry up, get in." The door opened, and the four walked inside the Ebony Castle.

Waiting for them was a gleaming ebony carriage, and the driver was quite a scary looking dark-haired old woman.

"Hurry up then!" cried the woman.

The four rushed up to the carriage, and the woman sniffed distinctively. "I smell mudblood and half-breed! Oh, what I would do if that son of mine hadn't done this…Well, where am I to take you?"

"The Wizard," said Lily.

"Oh, _him_, the nasty traitor. First I think I'll send you to a place where you can tidy up a bit…Merlin knows you need it," said the woman.

"Yeah, you should really be talking," James muttered.

"You say something, Bambi?" the woman roared.

"Uh…no…Of course not," James replied.

"Don't be so unkind, Mrs. B!" shouted a man from the people looking up at the carriage (and the woman scowled at him). This man bore no resemblance to the man at the door and the woman pulling the carriage. Lily supposed he must've been forced to work for them as well as some others, because they were all wearing rather drabby uniforms. The man bent over to Lily. "It's mainly the Blacks who are unkind. The rest of us folk are a cheery sort. Now off you go to be tidied up!

The four friends were all brought into separate rooms to freshen up, and an hour later they all rejoined each other. Lily had on a nice new dress and hairstyle. Remus no longer had torn clothing, and he also did not look quite as ill and tired. James had had his hooves and antlers polished and his fur was now very sleek. And as for Peter, well, he just smelled a lot better.

_It was about time_, thought James as he noticed the lack of Peter's smell. But then his eyes fell on Lily, who had entered.

"You- you look- very nice," said James. "Not that you didn't before…"

"Thank you, James," she replied. "And you look very –er- dashing yourself. And Remus! It's so nice to see you without those old clothes on!"

Remus looked quite embarrassed about this comment and just gave a smile.

"And me?" asked Peter.

"Well… Peter… You…" said Lily, struggling for words. "You're very- um…."

She was spared from having to find a complement for Peter, because an owl flew to her and dropped a scarlet letter on her head.

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"I don't know," Lily said, taking the letter off her head to read while James, Remus, and Peter crowded around. "It's addressed to me! 'Lily Evans, The Noble Castle of Black, Ebony City'…"

"Um, Lily," Remus began. "I'd…I'd open that if I were you. It's a Howler. And if you don't open it now, it will burst into flames, and I don't think James will like that very much."

"Flames?" James exclaimed. "Hurry up, Lily, open it!"

Lily carefully opened the letter, trying not to rip it, but she soon learned that she didn't need to be so careful because it ripped itself open once she had pried open the seal.

"**SURRENDER LILY OR DIE! HA HA HA HA HA HA!"** the Howler screamed at her, causing everyone to plug their ears. After shouting at Lily, the Howler ripped itself into shreds and fell onto the ground, and the Ebony City residents ran back inside in a scramble to see the Wizard.


	7. Meeting the Wizard

Everyone ran inside the Noble Castle of Black, and the rude dark-haired man from the front doors addressed everyone.

"It's all fine," he said tonelessly. "The Great and Powerful Black has all this under control. Now go away."

Everyone turned away and left, but Lily, James, Remus, and Peter stayed where they were. They walked up closer to the guard who just sneered at them.

"Get out, go on now! Go home, hurry up!"

"But…if you please, sir," Lily said. "We…we want to see the Wizard. All four of us."

"The rule is that nobody sees the Great Black!" he yelled at them.

"Then what's the point in having him?" asked James.

The man gave a piercing look at him. "Don't you question my authority!"

"I was just making a point!" said James. "If no one is allowed to see him, then you might as well not let anyone in here at all."

Lily glanced at James and then looked back at the man. "Please," she said. "This is very important!"

"Yes, and I've even gotten my antlers polished for this occasion!" added James.

"As Regulus Black of the Noble Castle of Black, I repeat: stop trying to intrude on my authority! The rule is that no one is allowed to see the Great Black! After all, who would _want_ to?"

"We would, sir," said Lily honestly. "He's got to help us."

"_He's got to help us_," Regulus mocked.

"But this is Lily!" James said.

"Oh," Regulus said, shaking his head sarcastically. "Bellatrix's Lily? I guess that's supposed to make a difference. Wait here, while I see the Wizard before I announce you." With a swish of his cloak, he walked off down a passageway.

"Were you listening?" James asked, beginning to jump again, then catching a glance at Lily and abruptly stopping. "It's as if I've got my brain!"

"I can softly hear my heart beating!" Remus said longingly.

"And I can be home in time for supper!" Lily said.

"And in one hour, I will be King of the Forest!" Peter said.

James snorted. He doubted that Peter would be King of anything, except perhaps King of the Cowards Convention.

"King of the Forest?" asked Remus. "Why do you want to be King of the Forest? I don't mean to be tactless, but isn't that- well- a job for a bigger and more ferocious animal, such as a lion?"

"Or a werewolf?" added James, grinning. Remus shot him a very nasty look.

"That's exactly what everyone wants you to think!" said Peter. "But I'm going to take a step for rats everywhere! When I have courage, I'll be the bravest rat everyone knows! Even the lions will be afraid of me! I will be King! And- and- I just have to sing about it!"

"Don't," said James. "Besides, you've already sung a song! I've only sung once."

"Yeah, well, _you_" –Peter nodded at Remus- "cut me off before I could finish it. I was talking about my troubles and then you had to go talk about being gentle as a lizard. Which, I can tell you from experience, are frightening little creatures! They're not gentle at all! But I'll tame them. I'll show you all. Because…

"_If I were King of the Forest!"_

James could not take it any longer. He began laughing. Lucky for him, Peter was too wrapped up in his future goals to hear him. Remus softly snickered too. Peter sounded as if he were trying to be King of the Opera instead. But Peter continued, after all, his opera was a bit too loud for him to hear anything else.

"_Not Queen, not Duke, not Prince_

_My regal robes of the forest_

_Would be satin, and not cotton, and not chintz_

_I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl_

_With a woof, and a woof, and a royal growl…"_

Remus laughed softly again. Being werewolf, he knew that he had just heard the worst canine impressions ever. Especially from an animal that was not meant to bark, merely squeak. Peter still didn't seem to have noticed the laughing.

"_I'd click my heel_

_All the trees would keel_

_And the mountains bow_

_And the bulls kowtow_

_And the sparrow would take wing_

_If I…If I…were King!"_

"That sounds very nice, Peter," said Lily nicely. But truthfully, she really wanted him to stop singing now, because Peter really couldn't sing. She'd been especially grateful to Remus earlier in the forest when he'd interrupted Peter's song with a line of his own. But now she was impatient to see the Great Black and have her help all of her friends. "It's nice to know you have some goals for after we get what we ask of the Wizard."

"Wait, I was not done with my song!" said Peter angrily. "There are more things that will happen when I am king! Like the bunnies I'm afraid of? Well, you'll see…

_Each rabbit would show respect to me_

_The chipmunks genuflect to me_

_Though my tail would lash_

_I would show compash_

_For every underling_

_If I…If I…were King!_

_Just King!"_

_Perhaps the Wizard could get Peter a new voice,_ thought James. Or get him to stop singing these ridiculous songs.

Lily spotted James openly giving teasing looks at Peter while Remus held them back as best he could. Though Peter had still not yet caught them laughing, she decided to be a good sport and sing in Peter's song. Besides, maybe she could make it end faster.

James and Remus began to sing as well. Though Lily was singing more because she was a kind person and wanted to make Peter feel good, James and Remus were singing more out of sarcasm. And plus, James wanted to do whatever Lily was doing.

"_Each rabbit would show respect to him_

_The chipmunks genuflect to him."_

"_And his wife would be the Queen of May,"_ James sang sarcastically.

"_I'd be monarch of all I survey!" _Peter sang.

_Monarch of all I survey!_

_Mah hah hah hah hah hah_

_Mah ha ha ha-narch!_

_Of all I survey!"_

_Please, Great Black, save us from this terrible song!_ thought James desperately.

_If I ever sing again, I am never singing a type of aria,_ Remus concluded.

"Majesty, if you were King, you wouldn't be afraid of anything?" Lily asked, continuing the idea of Peter's song but now bringing it to words. If she left it at questions, then she could end it faster, and even if it went on, at least Peter wouldn't be singing.

"Not nobody, not no how!" Peter replied.

And James and Remus very much liked Lily's idea.

"Not even a rhinoceros?" Remus asked.

"Imposseros!" Peter laughed.

"How about a hippopotamus?" asked Lily.

"I'd thrash him top to bottomus!" Peter declared, making James snort a bit louder with laughter than he had before.

"Supposing you met an elephant?" Lily asked.

"I'd wrap him up in cellophant!" Peter replied.

"What if it were a brontosaurus?" James asked, wishing Peter would say he was scared.

"I'd show him who's King of the Fores'!" Peter said.

"How?" James asked, a note of sarcasm in his voice.

"How?" Peter repeated, taken aback. "Courage! What makes a King out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his must? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the 'ape' in apricot? What have the got that I ain't got?"

"Courage," Lily, James, and Remus nodded.

"You can say that again!" Peter said, loosing his King of the Forest confidence.

James smiled at him. "You haven't got any courage. No courage what so ever. You're a scared little rat."

"I didn't mean to _really_ say it again!" said Peter indignantly. "You really _do_ need a brain, don't you, why-"

Peter was about to yell at James when Regulus reappeared and told them the message.

"Go home! The Wizard says go away!"

"Go away?" they all asked.

"Oh…" Lily said, her eyes beginning to water.

"I guess we came this whole way for nothing," James said sadly. "Well, except for that cool little golden ball," he added, wishing he had actual fingers so that he could play with the Golden Snitch. Maybe Lily would find it attractive.

Silent tears flowed down Lily's face. "I was so happy! I…I thought I was on my way home!"

"Lily, please don't cry!" Remus said, trying to fight back his own tears. "We'll try to get you to see the Wizard!"

"That's right!" James said proudly. His grin faded and he leaned over to Remus. "Er…how? How are we?"

"Hey…maybe…maybe I should attempt my first roar as King of the Forest," Peter suggested.

"No, don't! Remus is the only one here who could roar professionally!" James said quickly.

Remus glared at him.

"I mean…um…who do you want to roar at, Peter?" James asked hastily.

"Hmm…I don't know," Peter said. "Maybe I could sing us a happy song or I could-"

"And my mother and father were so good to me!" Lily cried on, drowning out Peter's words. "And now they probably think I don't appreciate it at all!"

Regulus stared at them and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"And I…I just can't forgive myself!" Lily sobbed. "Never, never, never!"

"Lily, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for this," said Remus, eyes watering.

James had a feeling someone was watching them, and indeed when he turned around he saw Regulus watching them and crying.

"Look! The guard is crying!" he said to his friends. He looked back at Regulus. "If you think it's so sad, you've got to let us in!"

Regulus snorted. "I wasn't crying because of what you were saying, those were tears of joy! The Great Black didn't _really_ want you all to go away, but I just felt like telling you he did and you believed me! That was brilliant!"

Lily looked at Regulus, unable to understand why he would do such a thing. "I don't find it funny. Will you let us see the Wizard?"

"You have five minutes," Regulus said, returning to his mean manner. "You know, that was quite a touching story," he added.

"Lily, you should tell it to the world, then!" James said.

"Just tell it to the Wizard," Regulus said grumpily. "Come on, that way. I haven't got all day." He pointed down the hallway. The four nodded, and began to walk down it.

Peter started trembling as they walked. "You know, I was thinking. I really don't want to see this Wizard after all. I don't have to be King of the Forest. In fact…yes, I've changed my mind. I'll just wait for you outside!"

"Don't you want the Wizard to give you some courage?" Lily asked.

"I'd…I'd be too scared to ask him for some!" Peter admitted.

"Well, I'll ask him for you," Lily said.

"Nah, I think that I'll just wait outside…" He tried to scurry away, but James quickly stepped on the back of his tail. "Owww!" yelled Peter.

"Why though?" Lily asked. "Why wait outside?"

"Because I'm still scared!" Peter said.

"Da de da de da…echo…echo…echo…" came a loud voice with a bored tone from down the hall. "Doo de doo da… doo doo doo…. Da de da…"

"Oh no! Disembodied voices. You know, that's really a bad sign…" Peter whimpered, trying to run away again. James rammed one of his hooves at Peter's butt and the rat slid forward. Peter whimpered again.

"Oh, come on! We're almost at the Wizard!" Lily pointed out.

"The Wizard…" came the same voice a little grumpily. "The Great Wizard of Black…Black…Black…Black…"

The four reached another pair of gleaming Ebony doors, and pushed them open, as the same loud voice boomed more confidently, "The Great Wizard of Black! Forward!"

In a large black throne was a huge shaggy black dog's head that floated above it, from which smoke and black flames came from.

"Let's go back, let's go back!" Peter whined. "It's the Grim! An omen of death! We should turn around and go back!"

"Who are you?" boomed the same voice, issuing from the black dog's head.

Lily, James, and Remus had begun to join Peter in trembling.

"Who are you?" the voice repeated.

The four trembled with fear again, and then Remus tapped Lily lightly on the shoulder and motioned for her to go and speak for them.

Trembling, she began to speak. "I'm…I'm…Lily. Lily the…small…and…meek. We all just…came to ask you…if…"

"Silence!" the voice roared.

Lily jumped back and joined the others.

"I, the Great and Powerful Black, know why you have come. Step forward…Werewolf!"

"Oh…that's- that's me!" Remus moaned. Even though he had spent years before as a monstrous wolf, he still felt quite inferior to this floating dog head.

"So…you've come to ask me for a heart? Hmm?" Black asked. "You, a former werewolf, think that you need this heart to recall your human side? After you have attacked and killed, and now become an overly sympathetic man?"

"Oh…well…yes," Remus muttered. "You see…it all began when we were, um… Lily was on the yellow brick road, and, er, then she found us and I'd been, well, and so we were walking and-"

"Quiet!" Black shouted, and with no hesitation, Remus jumped back with the others.

James was terrified, but decided that now was the time to impress Lily. He stepped forward proudly, trying not to look afraid, then bowed his head deeply in front of the floating dog head.

"And you, Stag! You want a brain? Well, we all know that being the idiot you are, you certainly need one," Black boomed.

James bowed deeply again. "Yes…Your Dog-ness. I mean…Your Canine-ist! Wait! I mean…Your Wizardry!"

"That's enough!" Black roared, and James scurried back with the others. "And the rat…" he said. "You want the courage to be a King of the Forest, though you are only a rat?"

"Uh…umm…" Peter murmured. "Yeah…I'm an excellent rat… But I just thought that maybe if I was braver, I could be the King and have some respect… Uh…"

"If you can't earn respect without being a King, then you aren't worthy!" Black roared.

Peter fainted.

"You…You should be ashamed of yourself!" Lily said to Black. "You scared him! And…and…he was only trying to ask for your help!"

"Silence!" Black roared again. "The Great Black has every intention of granting your requests."

"He does?" Peter asked weakly, starting to wake up as Remus continued to slap him in the face.

"But before I grant your wishes, you will have to do a very small task. I want the broomstick of Bellatrix, the Wicked Witch of the West," Black boomed.

"Um…Your Wizardry," spoke Remus softly. "Not that…that I'm trying to put down your...er…task…but…if we were to get Bellatrix's broomstick we'd have to…t-to kill her!"

"I want the broomstick of Bellatrix, the Wicked Witch of the West," Black repeated. "Go!"

"I-I-I-I have a question," whimpered Peter. "What happens if-if…she kills us first?"

"I said go!" roared Black.

Peter didn't need to be told again. He promptly turned around and began running out of the room and down the dark corridor as fast as his little rat legs would take him.


End file.
